Article 1âName
The organization shall be known as Chicago Women in Publishing, Inc., hereafter referred to as CWIP.
Article 2âPurpose
CWIP shall be a nonprofit organization for professionals in the publishing industry and allied fields. The purpose of this organization shall be to explore and improve the status of women in publishing, to assist members in greater professional achievement, and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas.
Notwithstanding any provisions of these articles, the corporation shall not carry on any other activity not permitted to be carried on by a corporation exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(6) of the United States Internal Revenue law.
No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributed to, its members, officers, or other private persons, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distribution in furtherance of the purpose set forth above.
Article 3âMembership
Any person, male or female, who subscribes to the purpose of CWIP shall be eligible to become a member of CWIP. Professionals in all areas of publishing are members of CWIP. CWIP is represented in almost every major Chicago-area publisher, as well as associations, corporations, libraries, and museums.
CWIP offers five classes of paid membership:
Upon payment of dues, persons are enrolled as members in good standing.
Professional: Upon payment of dues, persons are enrolled as members in good standing and are entered to all Wednesday programs free of charge. Any other events will be paid for at a discounted rate.
Student: To ease the financial burden of those in undergraduate or graduate school, while at the same time providing an educational benefit to those anticipating careers in publishing, student memberships shall provide the same benefits as Professional members but will pay discounted fees for all programs and events. Students are defined as those enrolled in a bona fide college program and taking a full course load, generally twelve hours or the equivalent. Students must supply a copy of a valid student ID and a copy of current registration when applying for a membership. Upon payment of dues, student members are enrolled as members in good standing. Student members will pay discounted fees for all programs and events attended.
Senior: To ease the financial burden of those members in retirement, Senior membership for anyone over the age of sixty-five shall provide the same benefits as Professional members receive but will pay discounted fees for all programs and events attended.
Affiliate: To extend the reach and influence of CWIP, a discounted membership will be offered to those living more than 100 miles outside of the Chicago area. Upon payment of dues, persons will be members in good standing and entitled to all benefits of Professional members but will pay discounted fees for all programs and events.
Corporate: Upon payment of dues, business entities are entitled to three transferable Professional memberships and a number of additional benefits as determined by the CWIP Board.
Honorary: Voted in by the Board of Directors, based on their contributions and achievements.
Article 4âStructure
The elected officers shall consist of:
Duties are as follows:
The elected officers shall form the Executive Committee. Duties are as follows:
PresidentâShall act as CWIPâs public face and represent the organization in interactions with Chicagoâs publishing community. Presides at all CWIP meetings, oversees the appointment of all persons on the Board of Directors, and acts as the spokesperson for the organization. Helps initiate and manage collaborations with other organizations.
Vice PresidentâShall preside in the President's absence and work with the President in running the organization. In the event the Vice President of Strategic Planning position is vacant, the Vice President shall assist the President with those duties.
Vice President of Business DevelopmentâShall initiate and manage the financial activities needed to grow the organizationâs finances. Oversees donations, fundraising, sponsorships, advertising sales, business alliances, outreach, and the recruiting of corporate memberships.
Vice President of Strategic PlanningâShall manage long-range strategic planning efforts, initiating or supervising projects that will contribute to the growth, visibility, and success of CWIP.
TreasurerâShall oversee budgets and keep records of how CWIP 's revenue is expended and shall write checks for bills and costs incurred for all invoices and check requests received with receipts or proper itemization. The Treasurer shall pay no bill out of the ordinary without the express approval of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall be required to make financial statements in writing to be presented at each Board meeting and submit the proposed annual budget to the Board of Directors by October 31. The Treasurer shall be responsible for obtaining and filing the necessary corporate and tax forms by the required deadlines. Shall keep records of how CWIP earns revenues and make bank deposits of all moneys received. The Treasurer shall collect or oversee the collection of money at CWIP meetings and events where fees are charged and shall be responsible for CWIP's petty cash box.
SecretaryâShall record the minutes of CWIP Board Meetings and general meetings where business is conducted and shall report those minutes in writing to all officers and chairs. The minutes shall be available to the general membership upon request. The Secretary shall maintain the organizationâs archives and handle the correspondence for CWIP.
Each elected officer shall be allowed to serve in the same office for no more than two consecutive terms. Newly elected officers shall assume their duties on July 1 for a term of one year. Outgoing officers shall act as an advisory committee until the first general program meeting.
The Board of Directors of CWIP shall consist of the Executive Committee (the elected positions), appointed Committee Directors, and Board Members at Large. Board Members at Large shall assist with CWIP activities as determined by the Board.
Each CWIP Board member shall have one vote on all motions. A quorum (two-thirds of the majority of the Board members) is required to pass motions. The Board of Directors shall meet at least six times during the year in which its members hold office.
The Board of Directors shall set policies in accordance with the stated goals of CWIP and shall establish fair dues and fees to accomplish those goals.
Any member of CWIP may attend Board Meetings or request copies of minutes from Board Meetings.
Article 5âCommittees
Section AâStanding Committees
The standing committees are essential to the efficient functioning of the organization. The standing committees are:
Dissolution of Standing CommitteesâIn the event of a vacancy for a standing committee, the Board may declare the committee inactive. A standing committee may be dissolved at any time by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board.
Selection of DirectorsâThe Directors or Codirectors, who are in charge of standing committees, shall be selected by the Executive Committee after considering recommendations from past committee members, board members, or from the membership at large.
Responsibilities of Directors and CodirectorsâThey shall attend all board meetings. Committee members may attend any board meetings, and they should attend in the absence of their Director or Codirectors or as requested. Directors or Codirectors shall provide the Secretary with a written report of their committees' activities at each board meeting. If they are excused from attending a board meeting, they must send their written reports to the President and Secretary before the board meeting. Directors or Codirectors are responsible for projecting the budgets for their committees and for remaining within their budgets and sending all expense receipts to the Treasurer in a timely manner. Directors or Codirectors shall meet with their successors at the close of the fiscal year to pass on their records and help with the leadership transition.
Article 6âNominations
Any member in good standing is eligible for consideration. The CWIP Board of Directors shall submit the slate of officers to the membership at the April meeting. Additional nominations may be made by the membership at large via e-mail or from the floor at either the nomination or the election meeting, with the consent of the person to be nominated.
Procedure for NominationsâThe names of all persons nominated at the April meeting shall appear in the electronic newsletter and at the May meeting.
Article 7âElections
Election of officers shall take place before May 31 of each year at a regularly scheduled general meeting.
Each member has the opportunity to vote once by ballot either at the May meeting or through electronic vote. Votes are tallied by the CWIP administrator and the results are announced via an e-mail to the membership, in the electronic newsletter and at the June meeting. Any member may formally ask for a recount.
Article 8âVacancies
In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice President shall assume the office until the next regular election. A new Vice President shall be appointed by the Board of Directors and shall serve until the next regularly scheduled election, when nomination for all offices shall be considered.
A vacancy occurring in any elective office save that of the President shall be filled by an interim appointment by the Board. A vacancy occurring in a Director or or Codirector position shall be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee.
Article 9âFinance
The fiscal year shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30.
Annual membership dues may be accepted at any time of the year and will be valid for one calendar year. The term of membership will be calculated from the first day of the month in which the application and payment are received. An invoice for renewal will be sent to each member one month before membership is to expire.
Using the proposed committee budgets submitted by the Directors or Codirectors, the Treasurer shall develop the annual budget. The annual budget shall be submitted the Board and approved by a majority before October 31.
The Treasurer shall prepare a monthly financial statement showing all revenues received and money spent by each committee and how they compare to the projected budget. These statements shall be presented to the Board each month and shall be made available to any member who requests a copy.
Article 10âAmendments
All conditions set forth in Article 10 of these bylaws must be met in order to amend the bylaws.
The bylaws of CWIP may be amended by two-thirds of those present and voting (in person or electronically) for approval at a meeting with a quorum. Ten percent of the membership votes shall constitute a quorum.
An amendment may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by three members in good standing.
The proposed amendment must be introduced and submitted to the Board of Directors at least 60 days prior to the vote.
The Board shall present the proposal with or without recommendation to the membership for discussion at the next regular meeting scheduled after the proposed amendment has been published in the newsletter.
The vote regarding the proposed amendment shall be held at the next regularly scheduled meeting following the discussion of the amendment.
No amendment shall cause the organization to lose its qualification as an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Codes of 1986 (or corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law).
Article 11âProcedure
Except as herein provided, all proceedings of CWIP shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised. Unusual proceedings not covered by Robert's shall be governed by a motion from the floor carried by a simple majority vote.
Article 12âDissolution
Upon dissolution of the corporation, the Board of Directors, after paying or making provision for payment of all liabilities of the corporation, shall distribute the assets of the corporation for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law).
Bylaws adopted February 1974
Amended May 1977
Amended April 1988
Amended February 1990
Amended December 1991
Amended May 1993
Amended December 1997
Amended May 2015